Ahead of further ceasefire talks, tens of thousands of Israelis rallied late into the night to demand an agreement to bring the hostages home.
“War is not sacred, life is sacred,” chanted demonstrators in Tel Aviv, with some accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to prolong the conflict in Gaza.
This was revealed on Saturday when a Hamas delegation met with mediators in Egypt.
The group said there were no new developments, but added that “a new round will begin” on Sunday.
Negotiators have resumed long-running ceasefire talks in Cairo brokered by Egypt and Qatar, under which Israel would suspend Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages.
The biggest issue appears to be whether the deal is temporary or permanent.
The terms being discussed are believed to include a 40-day cessation of fighting until hostages are freed, and the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
An adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Hamas was considering the latest proposal “seriously”.
But he reiterated his demand that any deal must explicitly include Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a complete end to the war.
Israeli Minister Amichai Tsikri said in an interview with the BBC that the war would continue “until Hamas is eliminated.” He added: “We have no option of agreeing to an agreement that includes ending the war or abandoning full-scale operations in Rafah.”
Separately, an anonymous Israeli government official told local media on Saturday that Israel “will not under any circumstances agree to end the war as part of an agreement to release the abductees.”
He added: “The Israel Defense Forces will enter Rafah and annihilate the remaining Hamas battalions there, with or without a pause for the release of prisoners.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu faces pressure from within the far-right coalition to press ahead with a long-promised offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city, where an estimated 1.4 million people have fled fighting in the northern and central Gaza Strip. ing.
The United States, Israel’s largest diplomatic and military ally, has been reluctant to support new attacks that could result in significant civilian casualties and has initially backed away from plans to protect displaced Palestinians. He urges the government to consider the matter.
Saturday’s demonstrations in Israel were the latest example of the growing domestic pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces to secure the return of the hostages.
Of the 252 people abducted by Hamas on October 7, 128 are still missing, and at least 34 of them are presumed dead.
Natalie Eldor, a Tel Aviv protester, told Reuters she came “yesterday to support the deal now.”
“We have to bring back all the hostages, living and dead. We have to change this regime,” she added.
Some people gathered at Tel Aviv’s Kirya military base to accuse the prime minister of undermining the proposed ceasefire, while others called for an end to the war.
Minister Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, addressed the prospect of a ceasefire on Saturday, saying: “We have not yet received an official response to the brief. If it is accepted, the war management cabinet will meet to discuss it. Deaf,” he said.
“Until then, we suggest to ‘political sources’ and all decision makers to wait for official updates, remain calm and not descend into politically motivated hysterics.”
Ceasefire talks have continued for months with no progress, with no cessation of fighting or release of hostages since late November.
There was a moment when a new agreement seemed imminent, but it fell through before it could be signed.
Sources familiar with the latest talks told the BBC that negotiations remained complex and a resolution could still take days.
Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations World Food Program warned that northern Gaza is now suffering from “full-scale famine”.
In an interview with US media, Cindy McCain warned that the catastrophic situation in the territory was spreading south.
“What we have asked for, and what we continue to ask for, is a ceasefire and unfettered access to safe space,” McCain said.
The war began after Hamas militants crossed the Gaza border into Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. The group is banned as a terrorist organization by many Western countries.
More than 34,600 Palestinians were killed and more than 77,900 injured during subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to statistics from the Hamas-run health ministry in the region.
Additional reporting by Anna Foster and Andre Rhoden-Paul
